Butylphthalide can be illustrated by the following structure:
There are two optical isomers of butylphthalide, the levo-butylphthalide (l-NBP) and dextro-butylphthalide (d-NBP), due to the presence of one chiral carbon atom therein. L-butylphthalide can be obtained directly by extracting the natural celery seeds, but can also be prepared synthetically. Chinese Patent No. 99109673.8 and Junshan Yang, Yalun Su, Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica, 1984, 31:671 both disclose procedures to obtain L-butylphthalide.
Furthermore, Chinese Patent No. 98125618.X discloses the use of L-butylphthalide in manufacturing a medicament against thrombosis and platelet aggregation, and shows clearly that L-butylphthalide has the effect of regulating NOS-NO-cGMP systemic function and arachidonic acid metabolism in the neurocytes post cerebral ischemia. In addition, Chinese Patent No. 93117148.2 discloses the use of racemic butylphthalide in manufacturing a medicament for the prevention and treatment of cerebral ischemia-induced diseases in mammals or human beings.
Accordingly, what is needed is the discovery of further pharmacological effects of L-butylphthalide, for example, via animal assay, which would provide new methods of treatment and medical uses of L-butylphthalide.